Ultimate Challenge Round 1: Michael Green VS Maxwell Ebsen

July 1st, 2012

Remember Michael Green? Yesterday, we saw him win one of the Battle Pack Sealed tournaments, where he walked away with a Spirit Reaper Starfoil Prize Card. Today he’s back, competing in the Ultimate Challenge to win an entire set of Starfoils! His opponent this round is Maxwell Ebsen. This is Ebsen’s first Battle Pack event this weekend, and he’s only played Battle Pack Sealed once before.Duel One
Ebsen started the tournament off with Gene-Warped Warwolf and two cards Set to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Green drew Gilasaurus and paid 500 Life Points for Skull Archfiend of Lightning‘s effect. He Normal Summoned Chiron, then activated its effect to discard Shackles and destroy Ebsen’s Dust Tornado. Green attacked with Skull Archfiend, smacking into Ebsen’s Dark Resonator, then attacked to destroy it with Chiron.

Ebsen activated Burden of the Mighty, a hugely powerful card in Battle Pack Sealed! It reduced Skull Archfiend to 1900 ATK, and Summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior to run over Chiron the Mage. Green took 500 Battle Damage.

Green drew Abyssal Kingshark and paid another 500 Life Points for his Archfiend. He Summoned Kingshark and attacked to trade Archfiend for Breaker, destroying both, then made a direct attack with Abyssal Kingshark. Ebsen activated Damage Gate in response, Special Summoning back Dark Resonator in Defense Position!

Green drew Card Guard and Summoned it, placing a Guard Counter on it. He moved the Counter to Abyssal Kingshark, and attacked with Kingshark: it hit Blast Sphere, which was attached to it as a result. Gilasaurus and Card Guard then both made direct attacks, dropping Ebsen to 4100 Life Points. Green had 6200.

Ebsen Summoned Zolga, and equipped it with Horn of the Unicorn to boost it to 2400 ATK. Zolga attacked Kingshark, removing its Guard Counter, and Ebsen Set his last card to his back row.

Green drew another Prideful Roar. Blast Sphere exploded Kingshark in the Standby Phase, destroying it and dealing damage to Green. Green Set Prideful Roar and Mask of Darkness, his last in-hand card now Tragoedia.

Ebsen attacked Tragoedia with Warwolf, and Zolga attacked Mask of Darkness: Green took back his first Prideful Roar.

Green drew Offerings to the Doomed – he couldn’t activate it. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to get to another draw next turn, and he direly needed to see more cards.

Ebsen tried for a direct attack with Zolga, but Green desperately activated Offerings to the Doomed to destroy it. Realizing he needed to see his next draw, Green conceded.

Burden of the Mighty allows Maxwell Ebsen to slowly take total control over a shaky early game, and Pitch Black Warwolf turns Michael Green’s pair of Prideful Roars – normally a great draw – into a pair of blanks. Play moved to the second duel.

Duel Two

This time, Green had a hand of Skull Archfiend of Lightning; Prideful Roar; Insect Knight; Fighting Spirit; Torrential Tribute; and a Pitch Black Warwolf of his own. He Summoned the Knight and Set Roar.

Ebsen Summoned Goblin Attack Force, and attacked right into Prideful Roar: Green paid 400 Life Points to take the Goblins down in battle. Ebsen Set a card to his back row.

Green drew Ego Boost: he was drawing a solid stream of removal cards. He Summoned Pitch Black Warwolf and made direct attacks with both of his monsters, dropping Ebsen to 4200 Life Points. He Set Ego Boost.

Ebsen needed either a big move, or a strong defense to fight his way back into this Duel. He Summoned Pitch Black Warwolf and attacked Green’s Warwolf; when Green flipped Ego Boost, Ebsen pitched Hedge Guard. Moments later he seemed to have a change of heart. “You know what? You got this.” Green looked confused for a moment, and Ebsen clarified: “I surrender.”

A surprising mid-Duel concession from Ebsen draws the Match to an even score of one-all, so this contest hinges on one more game!

Duel Three

Ebsen opened up with Goblin Elite Attack Force.

Green had Dark Ruler Ha Des; Different Dimension Gate; Skill Drain; Mask of Darkness; Chiron the Mage; and Darkworld Shackles. He activated the Shackles on the Attack Force, then Summoned Chiron the Mage to attack and destroy the Goblins. Green Set Skill Drain.

Green topdecked Wind-Up Soldier, which would have been an answer to Warwolf had Skill Drain not been active. Instead, he Summoned Mask of Darkness and banished it and Warwolf, with Different Dimension Gate.

Ebsen Summoned Zolga, attacking for 1700 Battle Damage to knock Green down to 5100 Life Points.

Green drew Infected Mail and Summoned Wind-Up Soldier. Insect Knight attacked, destroying Ebsen’s Set DUCKER Mobile Cannon, and Wind-Up Soldier made a direct attack. (Flip Effects of an attacked monster resolve while that monster is still on the field, so DUCKER was negated. Flip Effect monsters that have been destroyed but are still around cannot target themselves with their Flip Effects. Both of these concepts cause a lot of confusion, but really shouldn’t because they’re both spelled out in the rulebook.)

Ebsen Set another monster.

Green drew Pitch Black Warwolf, and Summoned it as well! He was really keeping up the pressure. Insect Knight attacked to destroy Ebsen’s Set Asura Priest, while Soldier and Warwolf both made direct attacks. Ebsen had just 900 Life Points left, and needed to topdeck something big. The fact that he’d made weak sets for two turns running belied a total lack of defense. Could he dig his way out?

Ebsen Set another monster, and Set a card to his back row. Green drew Heavy Storm, and activated it, destroying Ebsen’s Spell Shield Type-8 and his own Different Dimension Gate! Gene-Warped Warwolf and Mask of Darkness returned to the field, and Green Tributed the Mask for his last card, Dark Ruler Ha Des! He activated Infected Mail, chose to apply its effect to Insect Knight, and the Knight made a direct attack for game!

Ebsen revealed his Set monster: Penguin Soldier! Infected Mail let Green play around Ebsen’s first decent defensive monster, making a direct shot instead of giving the Penguin a chance to disrupt the field. With Ha Des on the field, Green had Ebsen locked down from two different sides. There was no way out.

Michael Green takes another Feature Match win in Battle Pack competition, scoring his first victory in the Ultimate Challenge!